


The Backup

by katajainen



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (but not like you think) - Freeform, Gen, No beta - provided as is, Yule Ball, hiding in a closet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katajainen/pseuds/katajainen
Summary: Draco and Pansy make a mutually beneficial deal about the Yule Ball.





	The Backup

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 of the February Ficlet Challenge 2018, prompt: Hiding in a closet.

Draco swore Pansy would be the death of him one day. He took a deep breath to mask the gasp he’d made on opening the closet door.

‘Merlin’s balls, Pans, what the fuck are you doing in there?’

‘Hiding from that idiot Warrington.’ Pansy peered at him between two crisp white dress shirts. ‘Is he still in the Common Room?’

‘He might be or he might not be – why are you sitting in my closet?’

‘Because he’s a prick who doesn’t have the two brain cells to think someone else to pester into going to the Yule Ball with him.’

‘Wouldn’t take an hex for an answer?’ Draco plopped down on the bed, and crossed one leg over the other, resting his ankle on the opposite knee.

‘You _know_ his shield charms are absolutely _ridiculous_ , all things considered.’ Pansy clambered out of the closet and stood up, frowning down at him. ‘Well? Is he still out there?’

‘Yes, if he hasn’t left in the past two minutes. But you don’t need me to save you from the likes of Warrington, do you?’ Draco let the question hang.

‘The arrangement would be mutually beneficial,’ Pansy suggested, ignoring his feeble prod. ‘After all, we are in the same boat.’ She made it sound like breaking news.

‘So Granger beat you to Krum, didn’t she?’ Draco was not good enough a friend not to feel smug at Pansy’s near-comical look of surprise. ‘Please. Gossip is not your singular prerogative.’

Pansy quickly composed herself and affected a one-shouldered shrug. ‘You’re my second-best option– that doesn’t mean you’re my last straw. Do we have a deal?’

‘Deal,’ Draco confirmed, and shook her hand. ‘But you were always my first choice,’ he added with a wink.

‘Flatterer. I’ll be wearing pink; be sure to match.’

‘Or else?’

‘Or else.’

‘You’re going to go and rub it in his face, aren’t you?’

‘If you need to ask, you’re even more hopeless than I took you for.’ With that, Pansy sashayed out of the room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.

She was going to be the death of him one day, but she was enough of a friend that she had refrained from calling him out on his lie. It did not matter that both asking or being asked were utterly impossible – given half a chance there was only one person Draco Malfoy truly wanted to attend the Yule Ball with, and it was not Pansy Parkinson.


End file.
